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WILDBAD. — CHAFT. I.
some of the Roman Settlements, of which we may men- tion Baden and Wildbad, soon rising to a state of great affluence. On the heights of the Black Forest however, and in its valleys arose also the rcdoubted league of the Alle- mannii, that warlike confederation whicli eventually broke the power of world-swaying Rome. In these fastnesses too the first Scotish and Irish apostlcs of Christianism built their monastic. cells, spreading faith around them and Scattering the darkness of Paganism. Fridolin, Offo, Landolin, Trut- pert, etc., are names still gratefully remembered and revcred by the peasantry of the Black Forest, and the numerous chapels devoted to their names, still bear witness to the zeal and devotion with which these first outposts of Christianism acromplished their holy task. In latter times the powerfol dukes ruling in the Black Forest were foremost amongst the valiant defcnders of German Iibcrty against the grasping emperors of the Carolingian line, — and still this district has retained more traces of the ancient German Ianguage and customs than any other part of Germany.
The main knot of the Black Forest and its highest point, is the Feldberg near Todtnau, with an elevation of 4650 Par. F. above the level of the North-Sea. From this point secondary chains branch off in cvery direction, the most important of which is the northern one. Next to the Feldberg the most considerable heights are : The Belchen 4397 F., Herzogen- korn 4300 F., -Bärhalde 4083 F., Biiisling 4019 F., Erzkasten 3982 F., Hochrütti 3943 F., Kandel 3900 F., Hundsrüchen 3815 F., Kohlgarten 3800 F.. Wcisstannenhoh 3714 F., IIoch - hirsl 3700 F., Rohrkopf 3633 F., Rohrhardsberg 3600 F. In the northern part the hills gradually descend, surpassing an altitude of 3000 F. only at the Kniebis (3393 F.), the Hornisgrinde (3612 F.), and on the ridge of mountains separating the waters of the Enz from those of the Mourg.